Nokia Camera coming to all Lumias with ‘Black’ firmware; new update next week to fix reframing

This week in Abu Dhabi, Nokia released their Nokia Camera app, which finally combined their Pro Cam and Smart Cam apps into one, while adding a few new features too. Those new abilities include quick-access for Modes, instead of the full-range of manual controls, and performance improvements. The move was done in response to customer feedback and it really shows how Nokia wants to get their experience right.

There is still one nagging problem though: those with Lumias that are not the 92x or higher are excluded from downloading Nokia Camera. That will change though when ‘Lumia Black’, the upcoming firmware for all Lumias, arrives in the coming weeks and months.

‘Lumia Black’ (formerly known as ‘Bittersweet shimmer’) is the follow up to the ‘Amber’ update that was pushed out in late Summer 2013. It will bring numerous new camera algorithms, RAW support (for high end device) and yes, it will allow those with entry level or mid-range Lumias to finally take advantage of Nokia Camera. It’s not too clear if that means the full range of features, including manual controls or a restricted version. Regardless, if you cannot download Nokia Camera today, you will be able to in the future.

Finally, for those who are having reframing issues with Nokia Camera, specifically the inability to save reframes, Nokia will be pushing out an update today to fix that. Some have reported the problem on their Lumias and reportedly an uninstall/re-install could fix it.

[Update:We are told the update will be available next week due to more testing]

It is not known if the update will bring other new additions or improvements or is instead just a ‘hot fix’ for this problem.